Tide motor



Ma -15, 192s.

' 1,670,140 E.-COLE I TIDE MOTOR Filed'March 1, 192a v 10 19 16 grz veufoz Ida/44rd Cole, deceased,

. ply and disch ervoir water during the of .water in Patented May 15, 1928.

., srarsis I Y 9 0,? T T CE.

nnwm coma, nncnnsnn, LATE on NEW YORK, N. Y., BY Jnnnnnr'rn sour ADMIN- rsrna'rmx, or NEW roman. v.

TIDE MOTOR.

Application mer-mama "1, 1926. semi m. 91,592.

This invention relates generally to an imroved methodand means for ,obtainin useul power from tides and its principa object is to provide an improved system 6 whereb the movement of the tides may be utilize to furnish a continuous supply of power during the ebb and flow of the tide. For this purpose in the preferred embodi ment of his invention he employs a sup ly l reservoir and a discharge reservoir, the Earmer of which is adapted to receive tide water and the latter of which is adapted to receivewater from the su ply reservoir together with means locate arge reservoirs for converting the energy of flow from the supply to the dischar e reservoir into useful available energy. uch a means may be a water wheel, low head turbine or other 20 which may be coupled to ane ectrie gen' erato'r for the purpose of furnishing electric.

/ energy. The supply reservoir is rovidedj with a gate ir similarly controlled inlet for the purpose of admittin to the supply resow of the tide, and the discharge reservoir is provided with a similar gate for permitting the dischargeof water from such an his invention the discharge of water from the supply reservoir to the discharge reseryoir through the prime mover'is controlled in response to the level of water in the supply reservoir or to the difierence in levels the supply and discharge, reservoirs in such a manner that the prime mover I will be roperly supplied with water and that at a times it willoperate with a high charge reservoir will not rise to as great a would in the supply reservoir an referably-the supply reservoir will fur hei ht as it ther e so 'capacitated and the times and rates l of admission of water thereto and discharge of water therefrom will be so proportioned as to produce a continuous motion of the prime mover, during both the ebb and the ow of the tide.

Other objects and advantages of his invention'will appear from the following description taken in connection with the acetween the suprime mover reservoir during low tide. Likewise in the preferred embodiment of- -the water .is not lower companying drawing which shows one embodiment of 1118 invention and wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section showing dia rammatically the supply reservoir, discharge reservoir, the various inlets and outlets and the power gQDerating'means located between the two reservoirs. 1

-Figure 2 is a plan view partly broken away, of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detailedview of the adjustable connection between the float which controls the supply of water tothe prime mover and the water gates'which are operated by the float.

Figure 4 is a detailed view of oneiof the buckets of the water wheel shown in Figures 1 and 2. i c

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 ofthe draw1ng, 1 indicates the sup? ply reservoir, 2 a discharge reservoir and 3 a prime mover which as shown is a water Wheel but which it will be understood may be any well known typeof such as a low head turbine. may be of any suitable structure.

prime mover They may The reservoirs be composed of a plurality. of artificial side walls although in many cases it will be understood that. the shore due to its topography inay form natural walls for the reservoirs; Preferably the discharge reservoir has a greater capactiythan the supply res ervoir so that a given volume of water will rise say only half as high in the discharge reservoir as in the suppl reservoir. -The supply reservoir is provi ed with one or a pluralit I more 0 its side walls which side walls may be'in the formof a dam across the mout of a bay or other inlet forming the su pl reservoir. These inlets have gates 5 w 10 a are adapted to be opened or closed at will. It is desirable that the inlets be positioned not lower than the mean heightof the water outside the reservoir, that-1s, half 'w a' between high tide and low tide. If positioned lower than the mean water level; they will in general be opened only The discharge reservoir is provided with one.

or more-outlets (6) similarly constructed to the inlets 4 of the supply reservoir and lets 6 are controlled by gates out- 7 adaptedto be opened and. closed at will. The gates 7 are preferably located the water outside below the mean height of, as near to the level of low of inlets as 4 formed in one or Y when the level of than the mean level.

ebb tide aspossible. The water wheel is positioned below the discharge opening 8 from the supply to the discharge res ervoir. There may of course be several openings such as 8 and several prime movers depending upon the quantity of water which is to be handled andthe motor or motors 8 may be employed to drive an electric generator or generators not shown but which are constructed andconnected to the motors or prime moV-.

l er 8 In accordance with standard practice in hydraulic installations of this character.

Located in the opening 8 is a gate which may be made as shown in telescoping sections 10 adapted to slide in stationary guides 11. These sectionsare preferably curved to better resist the pressure exerted by the water. Shoulders as 12 serveto lnterlock the sections so that a gnovement imparted to the uppermost section will cause the other sections to rise or fall in proper order. .Attached to the uppermost section is a float '13 provided with arms 14: carrying worm may be adjusted relatively'to the water level .worm 1s turned from above locked the gate 9 will be raised or lowered.

in the supply reservoir and the volume of water passing over the gate into the discharge reservoir may be regulated. This furn shes a means for insuring a constant supply of water or, of power to the motor 3 during a change in the levels of water in the reservoirs or of varying the supply of water or power in accordance with requirements. The wheels 15 may be locked so as to prevent their turning on the arm 14, by means of a key 17 as shown in Figure 3. If desired the worm 16 may be swivelled in'the projec-.

tion 20 and extend upward a considerable distance above the float so as to be readily accessiblefrom-the 'top of the opening 8 a pinned rodbeing used to lock the worm in position on the projection 20. When the with the wheel relative to the float. The float 13 is provided with rods 18 which serve as brace rods and which if desired may be provided with antifriction rollers 19 to assist'the rise and fall of the float. When a water wheel such as is shown at 3 is employedsthis wheel may be ofany suitable structure but preferably the buckets 20 thereof have'hinged bottoms 21 normally held closed by springs 22 but which are adapted to be opened inwardly bv water in the' discharge reservoir should the latter rise to the level of the water wheel.

The operation is as follows; Assume that the tide has risen to its full height. .Dur-

ing the rise of the tide the outlet 6 from thedischarge reservoir is kept closed so that no water enters except from what is received from the supply reservoir. During the rise of the tide the inlet 4 to the supply reservoir is kept, open so as to supply Water to the water Wheel and turbine and also for the purpose of gradually increasing the height of water in the supply reservoir. -When high'tidehas been reached the inlet to the supply reservoir is closed. During the time that the Water has risen in the supply reservoir a constant stream will have passed thr'iugh the opening 8 the volume'of which at any time depends upon the adjustment of the sections of the gate 9 and the float 13. The water in thus passing over the gate 9 will impinge against the wheel 3 causing it to turn and thereby generating power. The

flow of the water over the gate 9 during this 1 period is however less than the influx of- .water produced by the inflowing tide. The

supply reservoir therefore gradually fills up.

This rise of water has the effect of causing 1 the float 13 to rise thereby drawing up the sections of the gate 9 at the same time however allowing a constant stream to escape over the gate 9. As the tide begins to fall the inlet to the supply reservoir as previously stated is closed thereby holding or A retaining the Water except as it escapes over the gate 9. Meanwhile the discharge reservoir is filling up but as this preferably has a much larger capacity than the supply reservoir the water will not rise very high 1n the discharge reservoir. When the ebb falls below the level of the water in the discharge reservoir the outlet therefrom is opened and the water emptied as the tide goes out. As

soon as the tide begins to come in again the sa1d outlet is closed. When the incoming tide reaches the level of the water in the s'upply reservoir which by this timehas fallen considerably the inlet is opened again and the supply reservoir is replenished.

The capacity of the supply reservoir and the volume of water'which escapes over the gate -9 should preferably be so proportioned that suflicient water will be stored in said reservoir to operate the water wheel from the time the inlet is closed until it is opened again. As the level of the water falls in thesupply reservoir the float will lower the,

gate 9' thereby permitting a constant supply of water to flow to the wheel 3. The

means for adjustment between the 'float and gate permits the control of the amount of to insure a constant supply of power to'the turbine'or to permit the su power to be controlled at W11 in response to water flowing to the wheel or turbine so as While e has disclosed a gate orabutm'ent 9 I over which the water flows to a the; prime:

mover 3 and he has also disclosed axdirect mechanical connectionfbetween the float and the gate 9, it is obvious that in certain cases the supply of water to the prime mover may be directly controlled by an equivalent of the gate .9 such as a valve, and that the connectlon between thefloat and valve instead of being a direct mechanical connection may be a remote connection such as by means of anelectrical circuit. Furthermore the means for altering the control which the-float has on the gate which in the present disclosure is the Worm wheel and worm connection ma be considerably modified Without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus while he has disclosed the manual and mechanical operating means for adjustment of the gate and float, the adjustment may be a manually controlled electrical connection between these, two elements. The control instead of being manual may be automatic in response to requirements of the system.

'What is claimed is:

1. ha tideimotorg'the combination with a supply reservoir of a discharge reservoir,

means-tor opening and closing the supply reservoir to receive and hold inflowing tide, means forming a passage between the two reservoirs, means embodying telescopic sectionsv for controlling the flow of water through said passage, a float in said supply reservoir controlling said last named means so as to permit a constant flow through said va ing the eflect. which said float has on passage, astationary prime mover adaptedto be operated by said flow and means for sai In a tide motor, thecombination with a suppl reservoir, of a discharge reservoir,

means or opening and'closin the supply reservoir to receive and hold e infiowmg tide. a movable gate comprising te1escopic sections between the twotreservolrs, a float in the supply reservoir controlling the gate so as to permit 'a constant stream of water to pass over said gate from the supply intothe discharge reservoir, means of connection between the float and gate for raising or lowering the gate with respect to the float so as to regulate the flow of water "over the I supply reservoir to be emptied out during ebb. I

3. A tide motor 7 comprising a supply reservoir, a discharge reservoir of greater capacity than saidsupply reservoir, means of communication between sa1d reservolrs, agate comprising telescopic sections extensiblevertically over said. means of communication, a float in said supply reservoir, said float having means of engagement withsaid gate to control its height in accordance with the level of water in said supply reservoir, and a generator fixedly positioned in said discharge reservoir to constantly receive an ate. 1 g JEAN NET'RE COLE, Ad mimztmtria: Estate of Edward 001e, De-

operating flow of water passing over said 

